I know the rules of baseball can be arcane and--dare I say it?--Talmudic. But I saw something in today's Braves/Mets opener that I simply don't understand. I've done a web search but come up blank.

It's the bottom of the second. Ike Davis is at bat for the Mets; first base is open. He has two strikes on him. He swings and misses at the third strike, but it barely touches the ground before being caught.

Now as I understand it, this entitled him to run for first base. But he didn't. Instead he informed the umpire that the ball had touched the ground (apparently the ump didn't see that) and, rather than being sent to first base, was given another pitch to swing at (what . . . ?). Ironically, he again struck out on a ball in the dirt and this time was thrown out at first base.

I have never seen this situation before and can't find any reference to it. Are there any baseball fan FReepers who know why this third-strike-not-caught got the batter an extra pitch rather than a chance to reach first base?

On a third strike if the ball gets away from the catcher the batter can try to run to first. If he beats the throw to first he is safe and the inning continues even though the batter is officially “out”.

13
posted on 04/05/2012 1:48:30 PM PDT
by AceMineral
(Some people are too stupid for their own good.)

Yes. If first base is occupied the runner can only advance if there are two outs. If only one out or no outs the batter is automatically out. I have always thought this was a weird rule. Strike out is a strike out to me.

6.09
The batter becomes a runner when —
(a) He hits a fair ball;
(b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied, or (2) first base is occupied with two out;
Rule 6.09(b) Comment: A batter who does not realize his situation on a third strike not caught, and who is not in the process of running to first base, shall be declared out once he leaves the dirt circle surrounding home plate.

as a fully trained and certified little league umpire, I can say for certain, that the ump in question has the IQ of a misquitoe.... 3 strikes you’re out... if you choose to swing at a ball in the dirt, that is your problem...

24
posted on 04/05/2012 2:10:32 PM PDT
by joe fonebone
(Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)

as a fully trained and certified little league umpire, I can say for certain, that the ump in question has the IQ of a misquitoe.... 3 strikes youre out... if you choose to swing at a ball in the dirt, that is your problem...

That's what I thought. And as I said, he finally did strike out and get put out at first on an uncaught third strike. But I thought this happened twice, with the ump merely giving him another pitch to hit the first time.

The announcers didn't act as if anything unusual had happened. I'm going to have to assume, as have many who have answered, that the first one was a foul tip.

If the third strike is not caught and the runner reaches first the pitcher gets recorded for the strike out but the team does not get to record the out. Below is an article from last season with the pitcher recording four strikeouts in an inning.

I did not see the call... if he foul tipped, the ump would have immediately signaled so.... and yes sound is an important part of that decision.. if he hesitated, then he was waiting for the ump behind the pitcher to give him a ruling... either way, this ump should not officiate another game.. home ump is the key, and decisions right or wrong have to be made immediately..what did the ump signal?

33
posted on 04/05/2012 2:23:25 PM PDT
by joe fonebone
(Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)

yes and no... the batter can run if the ball hits the ground.. he is technically still out, but can get to and stay on first base.... most teams teach their catchers to touch the batter on strike three, regardless...... this puts the batter out no matter what

37
posted on 04/05/2012 2:26:32 PM PDT
by joe fonebone
(Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)

A Schwing and a miss on the third strike is a strike out if the catcher catches the pitched ball regardless if it hits the ground or not.....

Yes, but the batter is entitled to try to take first base because the ball hit the ground before being caught (nevertheless, it still counts as a strikeout). But that's not what happened. Instead the batter got an extra pitch to hit which ironically ended just this way.

Most career hits  4,256
Most career outs  10,328
Most career games played  3,562
Most career at bats  14,053
Most career singles  3,215
Most career runs by a switch hitter  2,165
Most career doubles by a switch hitter  746
Most career walks by a switch hitter  1,566
Most career total bases by a switch hitter  5,752
Most seasons of 200 or more hits  10 (shared)
Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits  23
Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at bats  13 (19681980)
Most seasons with 600 at bats  17
Most seasons with 150 or more games played  17
Most seasons with 100 or more games played  23
Record for playing in the most winning games  1,972
Only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions  1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)

National League records:
Most years played  24
Most consecutive years played  24
Most career runs  2,165
Most career doubles  746
Most career games with 5 or more hits  10
Modern (post-1900) NL record for longest consecutive game hitting streak NL  44
Modern record for most consecutive hitting streaks of 20 or more games  7

Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame.

40
posted on 04/05/2012 2:31:01 PM PDT
by BuckeyeTexan
(Man is not free unless government is limited. ~Ronald Reagan)

I did not see the call... if he foul tipped, the ump would have immediately signaled so.... and yes sound is an important part of that decision.. if he hesitated, then he was waiting for the ump behind the pitcher to give him a ruling... either way, this ump should not officiate another game.. home ump is the key, and decisions right or wrong have to be made immediately..what did the ump signal?

He signaled a strikeout, but even then Davis should have run for first base. Instead Davis told the ump it had hit the ground (I assume the ump didn't catch this) and he was given another pitch to hit.

I understand the "uncaught-third-strike rule." What I don't understand is why an uncaught third strike would result in a batter being given another pitch to hit rather than merely being tagged out by the catcher to finish the out.

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